Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.4.21.69 (APC)
 16,337 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Selected coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters were assessed in 40 insulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients with varying degrees of metabolic control; 30 healthy subjects matched for age and sex formed the control group. Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time, Prothrombin Time, Fibrinogen, Factor VII, Antithrombin III, Protein C, Plasminogen, alpha 2-Plasmin Inhibitor, Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1, tissue-Plasminogen Activator were functionally evaluated. Antigenic levels of tissue-Plasminogen Activator, Thrombin-Antithrombin complexes and fibrinolytic specific product B beta 15-42 were also determined. Compared to the control group diabetic patients displayed significantly higher levels of Fibrinogen (p < 0.01), Factor VII (p < 0.01), Thrombin-Antithrombin complexes (p < 0.01) and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 activity (p < 0.01). Regardless of the normal level of the tissue-Plasminogen Activator-related antigen, diabetic patients had tissue-Plasminogen Activator activity lower than the control group (p < 0.05). Coagulation Factor VII and Thrombin-Antithrombin complexes were increased only in the patients with poor metabolic control (p < 0.01). Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time, Prothrombin Time, Antithrombin III, Protein C, Plasminogen, alpha 2-Plasmin Inhibitor, B beta 15-42 fibrin peptide were found to be in the normal range. Fibrinogen correlated positively with fasting blood glucose (p < 0.05) and Thrombin-Antithrombin complexes with glycosylated haemoglobin (p < 0.05), whereas Factor VII was positively correlated with glycemia (p < 0.01) and glycosylated haemoglobin (p < 0.05). Higher levels of Fibrinogen were found in patients affected by nephropathy (p < 0.005) or neuropathy (p < 0.05). These results demonstrate an impairment of the haemostatic balance in diabetic patients, that is a possible hypercoagulable state, which represents an important factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic complications.
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PMID:Coagulation and fibrinolytic system impairment in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. 144 May 30

Human diabetic neuropathy is multifactorial in etiology, with ischemia as a final common pathology. Although impaired vascular endothelial cell function in diabetic microvascular injury is established, the role of thrombomodulin (TM)-dependent protein C antithrombotic mechanism in the pathogenesis of neuropathy is unclear. This neuropathologic case-control study investigated whether vascular endothelial TM expression is deficient in peripheral nerve microvessels in diabetic neuropathy. Sural nerve biopsies from 7 patients with diabetic neuropathy and 10 with axonal neuropathy without vasculopathy were immunostained with anti-TM and anti-von Willebrand factor (vWF; an endothelial cell marker) antibodies. The proportion of TM-positive microvessels was expressed relative to total vWF-staining vessels, according to vessel caliber and regional distribution within the nerve. In diabetic nerves compared with reference controls, the proportion of TM-positive endoneurial microvessels was 15-fold lower (0.02 vs. 0.30 in diabetic nerves vs. controls, P < 0.004), and the proportion of small-caliber epineurial microvessels was 10-fold lower (0.04 vs. 0.43, P < 0.001). No TM expression was detected at the perineurium in diabetic or control nerves. We demonstrate a substantial reduction of vascular endothelial TM expression throughout human diabetic neuropathy. These findings suggest that an impaired native TM-dependent protein C antithrombotic mechanism may contribute to microvascular ischemia in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy.
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PMID:Thrombomodulin deficiency in human diabetic nerve microvasculature. 1203 86

Protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III were measured in 35 patients with acute leukemia (13 with AML and 22 with ALL). Low levels of proteins C and S were present in 15 (42.9%) and 20 (57.1%) patients, respectively, and 6 patients had low levels of antithrombin (ATIII). Seven patients also had DIC at presentation. There were no significant differences in the levels of protein C, protein S, and ATIII in patients with or without DIC. Twenty patients were available for re-evaluation at the end of induction therapy. The low levels of protein C and ATIII found at diagnosis had risen to normal levels at the end of the induction therapy, while low =levels of protein S remained in 75% of the patients. One patient with low protein C at presentation developed myocardial infarction on day 15, and another patient died of progressive neuropathy. No other thrombotic manifestations were seen. Whether the low protein C, protein S, or antithrombin levels predispose patients with acute leukemia to thrombosis in the absence of DIC is not known.
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PMID:Roles of protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III in acute leukemia. 1649 9

Many factors contribute to the pathogenesis of leg ulcer. Most patients have venous leg ulcer due to chronic venous insufficiency. Less often, patients have arterial leg ulcer resulting from peripheral arterial occlusive disease, the most common cause of which is arteriosclerosis. Leg ulcer may be of a mixed arteriovenous origin. In diabetic patients, distal symmetric neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease are probably the most important etiologic factors in the development of diabetic leg ulcer. Other causes of chronic leg ulcers are hematologic diseases, autoimmune diseases, genetic defects, infectious diseases, primary skin diseases, cutaneous malignant diseases, use of some medications and therapeutic procedures, and numerous exogenous factors. Diagnosis of leg ulcer is based on medical history, inspection, palpation of skin temperature, palpation of arteries, fascia holes, presence and degree of edema, firm painful cords, and functional testing to assess peripheral occlusive arterial disease or identify superficial and deep venous reflux of the legs. Knowledge of differential diagnosis is essential for ensuring treatment success in patients with leg ulcer. There are many possible etiologic factors of leg ulcers and sometimes, clinical findings are similar. Additional testing should be performed, e.g., serologic testing such as blood count, C-reactive protein, HBA1c, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, differential blood count, total proteins, electrolytes, coagulation parameters, circulating immune complex, cryoglobulins, homocysteins, AT, PAI-1, APC resistance, proteins C and S, paraproteins, ANA, ENA, ANCA, dsDNA, antiphospholipid antibodies, urea, creatinine, blood lipids, vitamins and trace elements. Also, biopsy of the lesion for histopathology, direct immunofluorescence, bacteriology and mycology should be included. Other tests are Raynaud (cold stimulation) test and pathergy test. Device-based diagnostic testing should be performed for future clarification. Ankle brachial pressure index, color duplex sonography, plethysmography, MSCT and MR angiography, digital subtraction angiography, phlebography, angiography, x-ray, and capillaroscopy in lupus erythematosus are indicated. Except for bacteriologic analyses of wound biopsies, there is no test to provide specific information on the wound condition.
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PMID:[List of diagnostic tests and procedures in leg ulcer]. 2437 72

Diabetic complications are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes. Microvascular complications include retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy, which are leading causes of blindness, end-stage renal disease and various painful neuropathies; whereas macrovascular complications involve atherosclerosis related diseases, such as coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease and stroke. Diabetic complications are the result of interactions among systemic metabolic changes, such as hyperglycemia, local tissue responses to toxic metabolites from glucose metabolism, and genetic and epigenetic modulators. Chronic hyperglycemia is recognized as a major initiator of diabetic complications. Multiple molecular mechanisms have been proposed to mediate hyperglycemia's adverse effects on vascular tissues. These include increased polyol pathway, activation of the diacylglycerol/protein kinase C pathway, increased oxidative stress, overproduction and action of advanced glycation end products, and increased hexosamine pathway. In addition, the alterations of signal transduction pathways induced by hyperglycemia or toxic metabolites can also lead to cellular dysfunctions and damage vascular tissues by altering gene expression and protein function. Less studied than the toxic mechanisms, hyperglycemia might also inhibit the endogenous vascular protective factors such as insulin, vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor and activated protein C, which play important roles in maintaining vascular homeostasis. Thus, effective therapies for diabetic complications need to inhibit mechanisms induced by hyperglycemia's toxic effects and also enhance the endogenous protective factors. The present review summarizes these multiple biochemical pathways activated by hyperglycemia and the potential therapeutic interventions that might prevent diabetic complications. (J Diabetes Invest, doi: 10.1111/j.2040-1124.2010.00018.x, 2010).
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PMID:Molecular mechanisms of diabetic vascular complications. 2484 12

Factor V is a pro-coagulant cofactor required for the transformation of prothrombin into thrombin. Thrombin activates factor V, which is then deactivated by protein C. A mutation in factor V is responsible for the formation of factor V Leiden, resistant to activated protein C. The association of this mutation with venous thromboses has been established. Its association with arterial occlusions is still controversial. We report the case of a central retinal artery occlusion associated with a non-arteritic anterior optic neuropathy associated with a Leiden mutation of factor V (FVL). The presence of FVL has been associated with lack of reperfusion and rapid progression to neovascularization. It seems that FVL intervenes mainly during the reperfusion phase after the occurrence of arterial thrombosis.
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PMID:[Retinal artery occlusion and anterior ischemic optic neuropathy associated with factor V Leiden mutation: A case report]. 3210 25